The present invention relates to a cutting insert for grooving operations, and is particularly suitable for different radial groove cutting and groove turning operations as well as the profiling of grooves with small angles, for example, the production of grooves for piston rings.
During such machining, chip breaking and chip forming often have a decisive influence on the number of interruptions in production. Modern, high productive machines put very high demands on good chip removal. Long, uncontrollable chips can easily cause breakdowns in production and result in defective components which have to be scrapped. Close attention must therefore be paid to chip control and it must be allowed to have a major influence on the design of the tool.
Cutting inserts intended for the turning of grooves and parting operations are generally clamped in holders, which are of the blade type, in order that they can be used in confined spaces. Such cutting inserts are, for example, known through U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,948 and 5,423,639.
It has been established that cutting inserts, known until now, for the radial turning of grooves have not always functioned satisfactorily. The chips are not broken adequately and chip control is substandard.
The first purpose of the present invention is consequently to produce an insert which is well suited for the repeated, radial turning of grooves.
The second purpose of the present invention is to produce an insert which can also be used for profiling and longitudinal turning, in particular the profiling of the sides of a groove with small angles.
An additional purpose of the present invention is to produce an insert which can also, in a reliable manner, carry out the first cut, during which a long, unbroken chip is generally formed.